Carter House, Franklin, Tennessee. Civil War Damaged Home

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The Battle of Franklin. 1864.

The Carter House.

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Hello! I'm Mr. Ed

Blog Created: 5-18-2025

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The Carter House State Historic Site is a historic house at 1140 Columbia Avenue in Franklin, Tennessee. In that house, the Carter family hid in the basement waiting for the second Battle of Franklin to end. It is a Tennessee Historical Commission State Historic Site, managed by the non-profit organization The Battle of Franklin Trust under an agreement with the Tennessee Historical Commission. The house is a contributing property and centerpiece of the Franklin Battlefield, a U.S. National Historic Landmark historic district.

Fountain Branch Carter. 1797-1871.

Fountain Branch Carter completed construction of the house in 1830. The federal style brick farm house was accompanied by several other outbuildings such as the farm office, smokehouse, and kitchen. In the 1850s, Carter built a cotton gin on his property that became a much-remembered landmark during the Second Battle of Franklin in 1864. Though the cotton gin no longer stands, the house and the other three buildings are still intact and illustrate the horror of the Civil War battle with over a thousand bullet holes still visible.

The Carter House played a very important role in the Second Battle of Franklin. Prior to the fight, the house was taken over as the headquarters of the Twenty-Third Army Corps commanded by Brigadier General Jacob D. Cox. Federal breastworks were erected just south of the home extending to both the east and west of Columbia Pike. The Carter family took refuge in the basement of their home during the battle.

The middle son of Fountain Branch Carter, Tod Carter, was mortally wounded in the battle. He was still alive the morning after the battle when he was found and brought to the house. There he lived for several more hours, surrounded by his distraught family. Tod Carter died of his wounds December 2, 1864, and was buried in Rest Haven Cemetery just north of town. He came home for the first time in over three years when he fought at the Battle of Franklin in the 20th Tennessee Infantry. The room where Tod Carter died is one of the highlights of the guided tour of the home today.

Capt. Tod Carter. 1840-1864.

Tours of the Carter House and grounds are available daily. The State of Tennessee has owned the house since it was purchased to save it from demolition in 1953. As one of the Tennessee Historical Commission's 18 State Historic Sites, the property is administered by the Battle of Franklin Trust, a non-profit organization that also oversees Carnton Plantation.

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The Carter House was built around 1830 by Fountain Branch Carter. By the time of the Civil War it was a large agricultural operation. In the years leading up to the Civil War nearly thirty enslaved people lived and worked on the farm. The Carter home and property was consumed by the Battle of Franklin on November 30, 1864. The house served as headquarters for the United States Army during the battle. One of the Carter sons was mortally wounded during the terrible fighting and died in the house two days later. Sixty minute Classic house tours are offered as well as Battlefield, Slavery, and Extended tours.

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The homestead as it once looked.

After being rescued from the wrecking ball.

Main house, 1st floor plan.

Chair damaged by a rifle shot during the battle of Franklin in 1864.

The basement where the Carter family took refuge during the battle.

Basement stairwell.

One of the house's bedrooms saw damage as well.

The bed's headboard was hit by a rifle bullet.

The attic wall was hit also.

Bullet damage by the front door.

The back porch of the house.

The back porch was hit several times.

The back of the property had soldiers all over it in 1864.

This is one of the several outbuildings on the property.

Bullet holes saturate the exterior walls.

Once inside, the real horror of that day long ago comes shinning through.

This brick building saw it's own damage.

The Carter property in winter.

Scale model of the Carter House in a model train layout.

One of the displays.

A rifle of the type issued by the Federal Army.

Man and his children photographed in the 1860. Little girl on the left covers her ears when the cameraman takes the lens cover off. She thinks it will be as loud as the battle she witnessed.

Remembering the dead at the Carter House.

Lena's Carter's doll.

Halloween House in Franklin. October 2016.

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Francis Watkins Carter Family.

"Your devoted Aunt Fannie" Carter Gordon wishing niece Alma Carter a merry Christmas Dec. 24, 1874 when Alma was three years old. Fannie sent her a doll for Christmas. The Gordons were living in Alabama at the time.

Grave on left - unmarked.

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